BY ANY OTHER NAME (2004)

Money, mystery, a deathbed confession, questions of family and racial identity, and an exciting city - the perfect blend of elements combine to create a noteworthy first novel, By Any Other Name.

Just before he dies, Cincinnati billionaire Earl Q. Remington confesses to his wife of 40 years, and mother of their four children, of a long ago affair. Engulfed by anger and disbelief, Elizabeth's grief is intensified when Earl makes a shocking final request - to find his two illegitimate, biracial children and bring them to meet the rest of his family.

To further complicate matters, Elizabeth later learns that her husband was being mysteriously blackmailed and the blackmailer is now targeting her. Private investigator Lynn Davis is hired, and in a surprising series of events, she wrestles this case to a suspenseful close - locating not only Earl's children, but also the blackmailer, someone whose identity shocks them all.

Gossett says, "After writing my first book, a non-fiction book on diversity, (Diversity Blues, How to Shake 'Em), I was encouraged to write fiction by an agent who reviewed that book. She told me that it was obvious that I was passionate about the topic of diversity, but that if I wrote fiction, I could still convey important life messages. Finally, she strongly recommended that I write mysteries. So By Any Other Name was, in a manner of speaking, a "diversity" mystery."

By Any Other Name is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and other electronic booksellers. It is also available at the Public Library.